Cora
by Localism
Summary: Corarix Lovel, Draco Malfoy. Enjoy. This story has been discontinued due to a lack of motivation. However, I am willing to accept submitted chapters and give credit to all who continue it for me. Thank you.
1. Chapter 1

**Takes place during the half blood prince. In this, Regulus didn't die until 1991.**

_"It's taken a long time for me to get this peace of mind, I'm not going to allow some fool to ruin this for me." _Cora thought to herself as she closed her eyes, trying to ignore the glare coming from a blonde boy across the aisle.

She had been on this train a million times and still she ran into people she didn't know. No matter how many times she was on this train to Hogwarts, she was still nervous about her items and about her owl, about her friends, about everything. This anxiety often affected her grades and classwork at Hogwarts, so she tried all summer to control and understand why she felt so worried all the time. She eventually gave up on understanding, but found a lot of the things that triggered the stress. She found that her main calming factor was nature and any kind of animal often helped when she was feeling emotional, but what initially caused her to have these problems was still beyond her understanding.

"Uhn!" A young boy said, falling into the Slytherin train, "I'm.. I'm sorry!"

_"Must be a first year."_ Cora thought to herself, closing her eyes again.

The boy ran out of the train, seeming very intimidated by the older classmates. Of course, Cora realized that had she been in his place she would have likely been intimidated as well. The students in this train were rather large and dark looking to anyone who wasn't a Slytherin. She went back to closing her eyes and relaxing. It was raining lightly, you could hear the splash of the water under the train as they made their way to the castle. Cora was a girl with a small, but beautiful frame. She had straight black hair and silver eyes that often appeared black if the lighting was right. She was mostly interested in the concept of flying, the light air, the dark clouds, the smell of damp soil in the wind. It was all so calming to her, so free. She also had amazing skill that was natural to her when it came to potions class. She did however get many suspicious or curious looks from Snape. It didn't bother her much, but there was something familiar and eerie about him. Every time he would talk, she felt a memory in his voice that she couldn't quite explain. In fact, she noted a lot of weird things tended to happen when she was around. Nothing really that noticeable, but people would drop plates, walk into things, trip, simple things like that.

"Girl." Cora heard from behind her.

She calmly tried to gather herself so she didn't seem angry at the annoyance, ".. Yes?"

"What is your name?" The voice asked.

Her eyes were still closed and she was trying her hardest to respond nicely, "Cora Lovel."

There was silence for a moment, then some random whispering from across the aisle. She got this often, but it was still odd to her.

* * *

><p><em><strong>1980<strong>_

_Everything was black._

_"Hello baby." A soft voice cooed happily, "I'm your mommy."_

_It sounded like she was crying, but happy. _

_"I'm going to take such good care of you.." She said softly, "I love you."_

_There were footsteps, hurried light tapping._

_"Gwenedine, I'm sorry I'm late, I-" A womans voice said, then she gasped, "Oh Gwen. She's so beautiful."_

_Cora then felt the woman touch her._

_"Her name is Coratrix," Her mother said softly, "Bella, say hello to your new goddaughter."_

* * *

><p>Cora bolted up from her seat, almost sweating. It was lucky she woke, since everyone was now leaving the train. As she left the train, she noticed a blond boy lagging behind, she ignored it and moved on. At least until she noticed all the the blinds on the train shut quickly. She looked around and spotted the nearest person, a blond girl dressed in strange attire.<p>

"Isn't it strange?" Cora asked her, "The blinds are shut."

Cora then walked away, hoping the girl would investigate. She soon started walking toward the entrance of the train, but just as she boarded, the blond boy walked out and gave her a grim look. Shrugging it off, she began to walk with the rest of her class. Droplets of rain began to fall, but in a light and feathery fashion. The clouds in the sky were light and gray, in fact, the entire place seemed oddly gray and gloomy. Soon enough she found herself under the canopy of her green Slytherin bed, the beginning of the year meeting was one like always, only they acknowledged the fear and danger of being at the school. Normally students had roommates, but hers oddly hadn't shown up yet. There was no sign of anyone else, no luggage, no pet, nothing. She looked at the window, unable to see past the windblown droplets that clouded the view. She could hear students downstairs talking, her _fellow_ Slytherin. Fellow. How inaccurate. No one was your friend in this house, only your accomplice. She lifted herself off the bed and walked to her wardrobe, looking at her class schedule. She then looked up at the mirror, her black curls cascading down her shoulders, even she could see the isolation in her lonely eyes.

"It's better this way." She said to herself, remembering why she kept her distance, "Ties only bind you."

She walked back over to her bed, thinking about why she felt that way.

* * *

><p><strong><em>1989<em>**

"_Look at me," He said seriously, placing a hand gently under her chin, "You only have yourself in this world. Do you understand?"_

_Cora's teary eyes looked away from him, "You never understand me."_

_"You are so much like your mother, Cora." He said, "Every time I look at you I feel like she's here again."_

_"Regulus, it's lonely here, in the woods I mean." Cora said, looking around at the trees._

_"You need to get used to the feeling of being by yourself. You are the only one you can depend on, Cora." He said, patting her head._

_"But I don't understand.." Cora said quietly, it was inaudible to him._

_Cora looked up at him, studying him. He was a quiet, older fellow. His eyes were full, brimming with desolate sadness._

* * *

><p>He passed those eyes to Cora in the years she had been raised by him. A year later she was enrolled in Hogwarts school.<p>

"Hello?" A voice called, soon followed by a pale face peeking in at her, "We're having an introduction hour in the common room for the first years. It would be good of you to come. We're considering it to be formal. Starts at seven."

Cora nodded and the girl walked out. She had a couple of hours until it started, so she figured she could use a bath before she went. She walked into her dorms bathroom, it took her a moment to notice the boy standing there. He had blond hair and was very tall, lanky even. He was looking at himself in the mirror, but didn't seem surprised when she entered. He looked her over, but before she could say anything he casually strolled out of the room. She watched him leave curiously, almost followed him, but thought better of it. She then laid her eyes on what he had left on her counter. Slowly walking toward it, she ran a finger over the outer piece of a sterling hairpin. It was in the shape of a snake, crested with small emerald on the outside, on the inside was a brilliant, shining emerald. She looked it over, running her fingers over every curve as she admired its beauty. She then noticed there were words engraved in the back. Not words, a name.

_Gwenedine Lovel._

It was her mothers clip.

She set it down and pulled her hands back quickly, almost in horror. Her heart had skipped a beat completely, she had never seen any proof of her mother ever existing, let alone proof that she had been in the same house as her. She assumed her mother had left no materials when she died, suddenly she realized how unlikely that was. She then picked it up suddenly, pressing it hard against her chest and smiled for the first time in a long time. She then set the clip on the bathroom counter, remembering her intentions. After the bath was full, she gently slipped her foot into the warm water, sighing.

After she had put on her dress and put her hair up the best she could, she walked out of her room. She thought briefly that she may bring a book, but thought it might be rude. This time around all of the Slytherin would give her the space to observe them all anyway. She expected a few to stare, it's something she's been used to for some time now. There were a few words out about her belonging to the Black family, but that was untrue. She was completely unrelated to them, only raised by them. Everyone thought her black curls and short stature were sure signs of Black blood, but it was merely coincidence. However, there was truth to a lot of the things going around, that she had directly spoken to and spent her childhood around the infamous Regulus Black. On her part, this was a shame to her Slytherin name because of his betrayal to the dark lord, but she always held his name high. However, it was also well known that her Godmother was Bellatrix LeStrange and many feared her, admired her for that reason. Her hand was on the polished wood railing as she slowly walked down the stairs into the common room. A few stopped talking and looked at her, staring at her, while others began to whisper. She made her way to the fire and seated herself on a dark green chair away from everyone else. She stared into it and heard people begin to talk among each other again. She sighed, pulling her mothers hair clip out of the sash on her dress, running her fingers over her mothers name in the light of the fire. She then noticed a boy standing a few feet away that was watching her. She recognized him as the boy who had been standing in her bathroom at first, then she suddenly realized she had seen him before.

* * *

><p><em><strong>1983<strong>_

_"N-Narcissa.." Bella's voice broke, she let out a slight sob, "Gwen is gone.."_

_Bella held out her hand, unfolding it and exposing a ash-covered hair clip. Narcissa took it in her hands and looked it over carefully. There was silence, Bella then took Cora's hand, leading her into the open. Narcissa gasped, looking down at her, then back up at her sister._

_"Is that..?" She asked in horror._

_Bella nodded and sobbed again, "Narcissa, what do I do now? I can't keep her with me, she's only four years old, what do I do..?"_

_There was a long pause, then there was a whine from the doorway. Narcissa opened the door, exposing a boy around Cora's age. She picked the boy up, holding him close to her._

_"Well you very well know she can't stay here.." Narcissa said gravely, "Lucius won't have it.."_

_Bella looked down at me and let out another sob, just then the boy began to cry. Narcissa tried to calm him by rocking him at first, then handed him the hair clip, quieting him momentarily._

* * *

><p>She then knew where he got the clip. She realized that they were staring at each other, she then turned away and looked back at the fire.<p>

The introduction went well, a few new students came up to her and asked who she was, but she spent most of her time sitting and staring at the fire. It was about an hour in and she got up to leave, gaining the attention of the blond boy. She looked back at him as he began to follow her, making him nonchalantly walk up to a group of people as if it were his initial plan. On her way up to her room, she was for some reason fascinated by the green toned wallpaper. There were small markings, likely meant to be snakes, embedded in the wood below it and under the railing. As she reached her door, she stood there for a moment before she walked in, not wanting to enter the room she knew would be empty.

**Note: In my story, Bellatrix isn't awful until Regulus dies.**


	2. Chapter 2

**[Snape was not appointed Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, instead, Slughorn was.]**

_"Dear Regulus Black,_

_It is with a heavy heart I must inform you that Gwenedine Lovel has passed away. I would have stayed_

_to tell you this in person, but I must go away and preform my duties. You know that well enough. Gwen left _

_not much behind, but what she did leave us is the greatest gift, the greatest memory of her. In this basket_

_is her legacy, her daughter, Coratrix Lovel. Please, take care of her.  
><em>

_Sincerely, Bellatrix LeStrange."_

* * *

><p>Cora lay in bed, staring up at the green canopy once again. There was an hour before she had to get ready for her first class of the year, however, she was already dressed and ready to go. She often awoke at early hours of the night from dreams, sometimes nightmares. Although she was looking forward to finally getting back into potions class, she didn't anticipate the strange feeling she got around Snape. He often gave her eerie stares from across the room and seemed to be a bit harder on her than everyone else. Perhaps he had higher expectations for her, maybe she was reading too much into it. She was hoping he wasn't too hard on her this year, since she had a free period she decided to sign up for a second potions class for extra practice. She had Devination with Professor Trelawney at one and Astronomy at nine for the day. At some point she had to pick up her pet mouse from Hagred, but that could wait. She sat up slowly, putting her face in her hands as she let out a sigh.<p>

She eventually left for potions class, carrying her book for potions. The stares hadn't died out yet, so she avoided looking up from the ground. Walking into potions class, she noticed she was the first one there. She then saw that she had arrived ten minutes early, so she took her things and sat at the front of the room.

"Lovel." A sturdy, male voice she knew so well called.

She looked up at Professor Snape, earning what seemed like a smirk, "Yes, professor?"

"You're quite early, this is a good start to the first day of class. However I must say I am concerned about your social activities." He said, writing something down in a notebook at the front of the room.

There was a pause, then a few people she didn't recognize entered the room followed by the blond she had been seeing everywhere.

"Malfoy, take a seat at the front." Snape said, knowing he would place himself in the back without intervention.

Since the other students who entered before him were Gryffindor split up and took the other tables, he took his seat next to Cora quietly. Class went on, quickly for Cora, slowly for some.

"Draco." Snape said in a booming voice, making the boy jump slightly.

He looked up at him, questioningly.

"What would you mix it with?" He asked slyly, earning a shrug from his victim.

Snape gave a disapproving glare, then continued with class. A few minutes later he decided they would start a project over the history of potions, since students were continuously falling asleep. They were paired up by who they were sitting next to, which meant Cora was paired with the blond boy she now knew as Draco. At first they didn't look at each other at all, they just sat there quietly. They both knew it was an odd way to start talking. Cora was awkwardly trying to think of something, anything to say.

"I'll look up the information we need right now, we can go find a mint root after class is over." She pushed her pen and notpad towards him, "Write down what information I find."

He didn't say anthing, so she began to feel like she may have insulted him by taking charge.

"Okay?" She asked, offering him space to object if he wished.

He nodded and picked up the pen as if that were what he was waiting for. After about twenty minutes of writing, class was almost over. Draco and Cora arranged to meet up after lunch to find a mint root. They began walking to the great hall, people watching them with strange faces as they did. The halls seemed wider in the middle of the day, the sun made the white walls of the school seem bigger, wider. The openness of the outdoor pathways was often calming for Cora, but not now, she had so many things she wanted to know.

"I remember you, you know." Cora told him, looking at the ground.

Things were quiet for a moment and suddenly she realized something. She had seen him around school every year, he just didn't seem the same. The boy she saw before picked on others, laughed out loud in the faces of his enemies, but the boy she was looking at now just seemed distant. She looked over at him to see that he was watching his feet, he noticed her looking at him.

"Me too." He said shortly, almost like he had to force it out.

They sat across from each other before the lunch period and had short conversations about potions, but Cora had so many questions. His demeanor was so closed up she was afraid to ask the things she wanted so badly to know. She felt like he was restraining himself so that he could retain something, like he was keeping himself quiet so he wouldn't say anything she wasn't supposed to know. She also go the feeling that he knew more about her than she knew about herself. Through the pauses and the awkward silences, she figured something out: He was unhappy. He didn't come out and say it, she realized it by the way he looked at her, how he sat, looked down all the time, avoided eye contact. He was a closed shell. Although she was curious about why he was so reserved this year, she realized asking him would be inappropriate. They ate in silence, making slight eye contact every once in awhile. Cora felt the questions burning through her chest.

"Draco, did you ever know her..?" Cora suddenly asked, catching him off guard, "My mother, I mean."

He nodded a little, then spoke after a brief moment, "I was young though."

Cora nodded, "Was she pretty..?"

Draco looked at her, almost with pity, but more of a fascination with her curiosity. Like he wasn't used to having what other people would call "useful information". He seemed to be thinking hard, like he had forgotten something.

"You've never seen a picture of her..?" He asked her in disbelief.

She shook her head and sighed.

"Come on." He said, getting up and looking back at her, "Come on, Cora."

She got up and followed him. He seemed to be in a hurry, they didn't talk on the way to wherever he was leading her. It didn't take her long to figure out where he was leading her, it was a path she took every day, multiple times. He walked up the the Slytherin common room door, said the password and they both stepped in. He looked around, then at her and began to walk up the stairs to the male dorms. She was cautious about following him, but did anyway. He lead her to his door and stopped, then looked at the door, then at her.

"You should probably know now that my room is an awful mess.." He said, opening his door and letting her in.

She stepped in to see clothes everywhere, discarded papers, bedsheets thrown up over the window, blocking out the light. There were pillows thrown across the room, everything was in disaster. She was so concentrated on the mess that she jumped when he shut the door. He whispered a weak apology and walked into his bathroom without a word. She sat on his bed with caution, trying not to touch anything. He walked back in with a wooden box. he stood in the doorway of the bathroom for a moment, as if he were thinking over his decision. He walked over to her and sat on his bed, opening the box slowly. There were pictures among pictures, letters, ribbons and trinkets. He shuffled through the box for a minute or so, then pulled out a torn picture. There was a beautiful, pregnant woman who seemed to be in a forest area. Her hair was brown and curly, her eyes were the perfect shade of gray, she was smiling in the sun. A flowered sun dress was stretched tightly over her round tummy, feeling her stomach were a pair of manly hands. The picture was torn off there.

"That's my mother..?" Cora asked, feeling a little vulnerable.

Draco nodded, handing the picture to her, "You keep it."

She took it and held it, looking at it for a minute. Then looked at him and smiled genuinely for the first time in a long time. This is the boy that everyone thinks is so terrible? The one who used to pick on others? This is him? He was quiet, secluded.. Isolated. She then noticed how much he was like herself. Two lonely people stuck in the middle of a big world.

"Thank you so much." She said to him, earning a smile. She figured it had been a long time since he felt important.

They sat there awkwardly for a few minutes, unsure of where to go from there, but then she noticed something, there were dark red marks all over his room. It looked like paint, but it obviously wasn't paint, it was blood. It was on his bed in smudges, on his walls, on his floor, a lot of his discarded shirts that were lying on the floor were covered in it. At the risk of prying for information too soon, she didn't say anything. She just looked at him with distress, he saw in her eyes that she knew what was going on.

"Draco, I should probably go, we can look for the mint root in the morning.." She said uncomfortably.

He looked up quickly, like he did something wrong, "You don't have to go, Cora. I know this looks really bad, but.."

She looked up at him and smiled weakly, "No, I should.."

Then she thought about it. The look on his face was screaming out for help, his eyes were sad and hopeful. She looked at her feet awkwardly, then back at him. She threw her arms around his waist and hugged him for a long time, at first he seemed to be in shock, but wrapped his arms around her neck and returned it gratefully. She could hear his heart beating quickly, he was tense and stiff, but she still felt a certain connection to him.

"I'll see you in the morning, Draco.." she said with a smile, "I mean that."

He seemed unsure as she let go of him, looking back at him with a sad smile as she left the room.

Walking back to her dorm she was trying to think things over- "_why was he hurting himself?- Why was he unhappy at all? He had all the money in the world, all the people he needed. He has both of his parents, he has everything I never had." _She never thought about how much it bothered her before, she suddenly found herself jealous. However, she realized how unhappy he was. Walking up to her door, she looked it over, thinking something was strange about it. She then saw that it wasn't the door that was different, there was a light coming from under the door. Since she hadn't left the light on, she was certain someone was either in there, or had been in there. She slowly reached for the handle, trying to be as quiet as possible, but noticed the door was slightly ajar. She nudged it open, allowing it to hit the wall. There was nothing strange about the room. Her bed was in order, there was no one there, everything remained untouched. She walked in and looked around all corners, there was still no sign of any intruder. She inspected the walls, then the floor. Her eyes examined her dresser, everything was normal, except for what appeared to be a letter.

She walked over to it cautiously and looked down at it. She picked it up slowly, noticing something familiar about it. It was an ivory colored letter, wrapped around it was a satin green ribbon, on the front in cursive handwriting it said "Cora." She then remembered where she had seen it before. She thought back to when she was nine years old, two years before Hogwarts had sent for her.

* * *

><p><strong>1989<strong>

_"Coratrix Lovel,_

_I am probably the last person you expected to hear from, but I feel I have explaining to do. Nine years_

_have passed and I have failed to contact you, for this I am sincerely remorseful. However, you must_

_understand that this is in your best interest. If I were to associate with you at this time, danger would _

_be inevitable. In order to shelter you, I must keep my distance, but rest assure that one day I will _

_expose myself and become a part of your life._

_Sincerely, your father."_

* * *

><p>Without untying the ribbon, Cora carefully placed the letter back on her dresser. Unsure of whether she was prepared for what might come from opening it, she decided to sleep on it. Still, she was left with a question: How did he manage to get into her room? He had to be either a teacher, a groundskeeper, or phenomenal at sneaking around the castle. Nonetheless, she knew very little about him. Actually, she knew nothing about him at all. However, she felt she should listen to what he had to say. Feeling she made the right choice to rest on it and decide in the morning, she lie down with a clear mind.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

_Coratrix Lovel,_

_I haven't written to you in many years, but by now I am certain you've forgotten me._

_I told you once before that I would eventually include myself in your life, but anymore_

_I am not sure. I am sure that by this time you know the dangers we've recently been_

_sheltering you and the rest of Hogwarts from, so I need not go into detail about that._

_I am sure that you've figured out I am part of the staff of this school, since I was able_

_to get this letter to you very easily. However I must ask that you do not pursue me,_

_if you do you may be in grave danger. I wrote this to you with the intention that it be_

_a farewell letter in the event that I do not make it past the crisis I've spent a good_

_part of my life __protecting you from. However, I must tell you now that I am proud of_

_your success at Hogwarts and have never shamed myself for being your father. Be_

_safe, Coratrix._

_Sincerely, your father._

* * *

><p>On that note, Cora knew for sure that she needed to find him. She sat back down on her bed, folding the letter back into its original state, tying the ribbon around it and setting it down next to her. She felt an unusual sadness, knowing that the last of her family was sending his goodbye to her in a letter, thinking he was facing certain death. She wanted to cry, she wanted to be close to someone and have comfort, but she really had no one. Then she thought for a moment that she would visit Draco, she did tell him that should would see him this morning. She hadn't any classes, since it was a Saturday anyway. Putting on pajama pants and running a brush through her hair, she headed out the door and into the common room. There was no one there yet, since it was early in the morning, so for once she didn't have to avoid questions or awkward conversations. She started up the stairs into the mens dormitory and down the hall to Draco's room. She knocked on the door lightly, then listened for a reply.<p>

"H-hold on a second." He sounded either tired or in a hurry.

She waited there for a few minutes, then she opened the door herself and peered in at him. He was standing in the doorway of his bathroom, shirtless and bleeding from one of his shoulders and the opposite forearm. Short, deep lines across his arm were dripping a horrible dark red. To her horror, it was everywhere. On the floor, smeared across his dresser, his clothes were covered in it. His hair was a mess and his eyes seemed sleepless, or perhaps that he had been crying. She then noticed a horrifying discovery on his left wrist, a terrible deatheater mark. She brought a hand to her mouth and stared at him in trepidation, then turned around and covered her eyes.

"D-don't.." He said quietly, then stopped, realizing she had every reason to want to leave.

She then took a step, but stopped and uncovered her watering eyes. She looked back at him, a _deatheater_. She was unsure of what she should do. He had turned to face her, his hand was slightly, weakly reaching for her. She knew there was something more to this, this boy was not evil. He wasn't maniacal, not crazy, he was lost. She then turned around and walked in quickly, taking his hand and leading him into his bathroom. She frantically went through his medicine cabinet and pulled out supplies, pulling him over to her gently and looking into his red rimmed eyes, then down at his injured arm. She wet a cloth with peroxide, then gently began to dab at the wounds, earning a grimace from Draco. At first he jumped at every touch to his tender cuts, but after a few minutes he seemed to relax. She couldn't get over the despair in his eyes, the misery, the tribulation in his tired, beautiful eyes.

_Beautiful_ eyes..?

It was then that she realized her fondness toward him. Her hand began to shake as she slowly stopped dabbing his wounds, her eyes started to tear up as she stared into his. She wanted to know why he was doing this, why he looked so distressed, why he became a deatheater. _Deatheater. _She then grabbed his arm lightly and turned his wrist upward towards her and ran her fingers over the mark. He snatched his arm away quickly, giving her an offended look and backing away from her towards his bedroom. He walked out the door and sat on his bed, his head in his hands. She could hear his sobs from the bathroom, suddenly she realized. Gathering bandages, she walked calmly into his room and sat on the floor in front of him, lightly pulling on his damaged arm. At first he was leery about letting her touch him, but he allowed it, lowering his arm to her. She wrapped it slowly, trying not to touch the tender parts of his arm too roughly. She noticed he was looking down at her with an odd look, almost expressionless. He seemed so zomibe-like, so lifeless. After wrapping his arm, she tended to his shoulder, standing in front of him and being as tentative as possible. He then seemed to snap out of his thoughts. He looked up at her with those piercing blue eyes. They exchanged a long look as she slowed her wrapping. She then realized that she had begun to stop and focused her attention on his wounds again. She finished wrapping and sat on her legs in front of him. They just looked at each other, but she could see the apology in his eyes.

"Why?" Is all she could force from her mouth.

He looked away and let out a brief sob, "I have to."

Then there was a silence, but it was a comfortable silence. She took the wet cloth and wiped at any smears of blood she missed, but then noticed she was covered in it herself. She got up and walked to his bathroom and shut the door, wetting the cloth again and wiping herself with it. His blood was covering most of her arms and had dripped on her shirt, pants and feet. She finished cleaning herself off and looked around his bathroom. His floor was surprisingly clear of blood, but his counter wasn't as lucky. There lie a knife, still bloody from the few minutes before. She wiped down his counter and any spots on his floor that she could see. She then picked up the knife and walked back into his room. She looked at him and then at the knife, setting it down on his nightstand. While she was in the bathroom, he had changed his position and was now laying on his back, staring up at the green canopy over his bed. Cora looked at him for a second, then sat next to him on his bed. The sun was now beginning to show through his window, lighting up his pale face. After a few minutes she headed to the door.

"Cora." She heard, making her turn around.

Draco slowly got up from his bed and walked toward her, then took her hand and led her to his bed. He sat down and lightly tugged on her arm, signaling for her to sit next to him. He seemed unsure of what to say, but she could see the appreciation on his face. She smiled and kissed his cheek gently, taking his hands and standing.

"Draco-"

"Thank you." He said, interrupting her.

She smiled, sighing and looking around his room. It was still a mess. She went over to the other side of the bed and took a seat, then she lie down slowly, facing away from Draco. He didn't take her hint right away, so she looked back at him. He finally understood and lie down next to her, awkwardly putting an arm around her. They lie there for the longest time, motionless. At first he was tense, but soon he got comfortable and relaxed. She waited a long time until he fell asleep, then gently caressed his face as she got up. She looked around his room and sighed, not knowing where to begin. The clothes were and easy fix, but the stains on the floor, the walls and the furniture were another story. She found that after she started it was easy to continue, eventually his room was beginning to look normal. She took the sheets down from his window and put a cloak over it so the light wouldn't come through. After cleaning his blankets, she covered him with them, smiling at how peaceful he looked. She then realized her progress was amazing, so she crawled up on the bed next to the sleeping Draco and pulled up the covers. She was disappointed to see she woke him, but he was in a daze from sleep, so she quickly crawled under the covers next to him and he went back to sleep. Even in his sleep he held her extremely close, tightly, his arms engulfed her.

* * *

><p><em>"No, listen to me! You have to stop! It wasn't her fault!-"<em>

_"Quiet, you." A womans voice said gruffly. _

_They were on the astronomy tower, it was beginning to rain. Cora looked around her, there was an older woman, Draco and Snape. She looked down at the gray brick, then up at the clouded sky. Suddenly she felt afraid. The woman looked angry, she was quickly walking toward Cora, violently whipping her wand out and glaring. Both Draco and Snape started after her, trying to grab her, keep her from Cora. _

_"No, Bella!" Snape yelled._

_She then aimed her wand at Cora._

_"Avada Kadavra!"_

* * *

><p>Cora bolted out of her slumber, whimpering- Draco jumped, his head was now turned toward her.- He had been sitting at his desk, but he was now hurrying toward her and sitting by her on the bed. Cora was still breathing heavily, about to cry. She was surprised when he wrapped his arms around her so soon, pleasantly surprised. She could easily get used to this. It was still day time, she had only been asleep for about an hour. He slowly lightened his grip on her, looking at her.<p>

"Draco, I got a letter from my father." She said quietly, "That was what I had come here to talk about to begin with."

He looked out the window blankly, "Did you?"

She suddenly got the feeling that he wasn't surprised and felt herself begin to breath strangely.

"Do you know who it is?" She asked him, placing at hand on his face gently and turning it toward her, "Draco, I need to know."

He looked at her and sighed, "Cora, you have to understand.."

She looked at him, confused, "Draco, you know, you knew? All this time?"

He turned away from her slightly, then back to her, "Cora, if I tell you, it may get me.. Hurt."

She stared at him, at first angrily, but soon she understood. She looked at him, his pale complexion was nearly a snow white in the light of the sun. His blue eyes were the only color she could see, he was handsome. He had put on his class shirt, but his buttons were undone and his tie was draped around his neck. She could see some of the bandages on his shoulder through the gap in his shirt. His hair was a mess, but his eyes were no longer red and tired. He had a pure, innocent look about him, unlike all other Slytherin. He had a perpetual sadness about him, gloom radiated from his expressions. He looked down at the blankets, then up at her again, lifting his hand shyly and caressing her cheek. He hands were soft and his touch was gentle, there was nothing monstrous about this boy. If there were one thing she could see in his actions, in his words, in those beautiful _eyes_, it would be that he was lost.

"Draco, we really need to find a mint root." Cora said, changing the subject.

He nodded, beginning to button his shirt, but Cora took over and started to button it for him. It was quiet. Draco was staring at her as she continued, then put a hand on hers, stopping her. She looked up at him, wanting to ask why he stopped her, but she was unable to get any words to part through her lips. He then took her hand and put it on his heart, looking down at it, then back into her eyes. She looked at her hand nervously, feeling his heart beating. She was breathing quickly, too nervous to talk or do anything.

It was his way of saying,_ 'I'm falling for you.'_

"We- Uh, we need to g-get ready." Cora said nervously as she began to get up. She glanced at Draco who had an innocent grin on his face.

"Alright." He buttoned the top button and started tying his tie.

She ran her fingers through her hair and looked at him, then at her pajama pants. She shrugged.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been a few days since then, while the darkness seemed to recede, their relationship expanded. Suddenly she found herself trusting someone who was a mere stranger not even a week ago. She now lie in bed, thinking about everything that had happened lately. She and Draco had found their mint root with little to no time left to spend on the project, Snape was thoroughly unimpressed with her for that. Not disappointed in both of them, but her and her alone. However, she aced an exam in Devinity, earning her a smile from Professor Trelawny. Being out in the forest searching for the mint root brought back a few memories she had nearly forgotten from her childhood, Regulus seemed to be revived for a moment or two. Regulus. She had been thinking about him quite a bit lately. While she looked around the forest she could almost hear his scornful, ragged voice through the trees. That voice was the voice of wisdom. When Regulus passed on, they were unable to get the news to Cora for more than a month because of his isolation. She had, however, received a suspicious letter from him a week before his death that caused her to do some investigating.

* * *

><p><strong>1991<strong>

_Cora,_

_I realize I haven't written to you for far too long, months have passed and still I haven't_

_written to my little girl. It's hard to believe that I was merely a child when you were sent_

_to me. A man of twenty-three years, no prior responsibilities, hiding from the magic _

_society for reasons you will never understand. When you arrived at my doorstep I first_

_was afraid, but if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't be. You've grown to be an_

_amazing young woman, one I am very proud of and love very much, I want you to know_

_that. I feel you should also know that I may be gone for awhile, I have some very _

_important business to take care of. You may not hear from me for a long time, possibly_

_never if things go wrong. Before I go, I wanted you to know a few things. I am a former_

_Deatheater, Cora. I know I never told you, but I felt that it may scare you. Your _

_father is a Deatheater as well. However, your father is a greater man than he lets on._

_I must end this message, though, for I have things to do that require my attention. Good _

_luck in your __first year and years to come, Cora._

_Regulus Black._

* * *

><p>She was unable to truly investigate until 1995, when she was more free to roam in and out of the castle. Making her way back to his cabin in the isolated Feoric forest was a grave mistake. The trees had made a mess out of her home. No, the house that used to be her home. Vines tangled in the doorway, crawling up the walls, covering all of the windows. The porch was a pile of broken wood, the concrete foundation was cracked, everything was broken. She made her way in eventually, finding discarded papers, old toys from her childhood, hats, shoes, silverware, many things. Among everything else, she found a news article about his brother Sirius Black, whom she didn't know existed at the time. It read, "Former student lands himself in Azkaban prison.. Brother of Regulus black, an alleged deatheater, Sirius black killed twelve muggles and former Hogwarts student, Peter Pettigrew. Three victims identified as male, the other nine are unknown, the wizard is sentenced to life in..." <em>Deatheater.<em> She suddenly found herself thinking back to the mark on Dracos arm. She felt that she was surrounded by good people, but they all seemed to be Deatheater related. Draco had a vacant look about him, like he was an empty shell of a person, constantly thinking about something. He also had a very warm smile, beautifully tristful eyes and a gentle touch. This boy certainly didn't seem evil, but she wasn't quite ready to put all of her trust in him quite yet. The darkness outside was calming to her, it was quite late and she had been up thinking about everything for hours. She lay under the covers, staring out at the stars surrounding the castle. She let out a sigh and listened carefully, hearing a slight footstep outside of her door. She was sure it was her imagination until she heard a quiet, muffed cough. She then heard a light tap on her door, whoever it was obviously didn't want to wake her.

"Come in." She said quietly, preparing herself.

The door opened and the face of Draco Malfoy appeared through the gap. He looked rough, like he hadn't slept since they last saw each other, which had been at least a day ago. Shutting the door, he looked around briefly. He was wearing green pajama pants with an unidentifiable print and a white shirt that was close fit to his thin figure. He was looking at his feet with a solemn expression, almost seeming ashamed as he walked over to her side of the bed, taking a seat. He looked out the window at the stars, but she looked at him, wondering what was on his mind. In the dark, his eyes had a lack of color. His eyebrows were arched upward, making him look upset, but by now she knew that was just his regular expression. He then looked down at his hands, which seemed to be shaking slightly and shook his head. Cora sat up and lay her head on his shoulder gently, then rest her chin there and looked at him.

"What is the matter, Draco?" She asked quietly, closing her eyes, "You seem lost."

He let out a bit of a sob, "I'm not sure."

She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly as he sit there motionless. She then kissed his shoulder, earning a surprised look from Draco. She kissed it again, then again, then nuzzled his shoulder lovingly. She then unwrapped her arms from him and lie back down, lifting the covers a bit and offering him a spot next to her. It seemed like he never got the hint the first time, like he couldn't believe that someone would open up their personal space to him, but he always caught on eventually. They were both facing each other toward the enter of her bed, staring into each others eyes. However, it always seemed that prolonged eye contact made Draco very uncomfortable, so she was doing most of the spent a long while just looking at his beautiful, pale skin. It almost had a porcelain appearance in the light from her window. She then found herself drawn to the moonlight. She then rolled over, facing her window. She waited for Draco to put his arm around her, but he didn't, so she looked back at him. He had a strange expression on his face, it seemed shy and unsure. She then took his left hand and lead it over her waist slowly, sliding over closer to him. Given the space for closeness, he took lead and wrapped his arm around her tightly, holding her close to him. They both fell asleep relatively fast, Draco was holding her close, his hand on her lower stomach and his chin on her shoulder.

* * *

><p><em>The sky was cloudy, wind was blowing viciously and there was confused yelling. A woman, her curly black hair being tossed by the wind, was staring over the ledge of the Astronomy tower in glorified horror. Her shock was obvious, her mouth agape. She then turned towards a confused Cora who took a step back. The woman appeared irate, her teeth gritted together, her eyes squinted. <em>

_"No, listen to me! You have to stop! It wasn't her fault!-"_

_"Quiet, you." A womans voice said gruffly as she faced Draco, then turned back to Cora._

_It was beginning to rain. Cora looked around her, Draco and Snape stood, waiting for her next move. Cora looked down at the gray brick, then up at the clouded sky. Suddenly she felt afraid. The woman was quickly walking toward Cora, violently whipping her wand out and glaring. Both Draco and Snape started after her, trying to grab her, keep her from Cora._

_"No, Bella!" Snape yelled._

_She then aimed her wand at Cora._

_"Avada Kadavra!"_

* * *

><p>Cora bolted up to a sitting position, starling the sleeping Draco who nearly fell out of the bed. She was panting quickly and noticed she was covered in sweat. Draco stared at her, confused and terrified.<p>

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" His voice was shaky and fearful.

Cora put a hand on her chest, feeling that her heart was going to leap out and looked at him. She then lifted her knees up to her chest and put her face into her hands, trying to calm herself down. Draco seemed unsure of what to do, he brought his hand toward her shoulder cautiously and set it there gently. Seeming more confident, he then wrapped his arms around her tightly and hugged her. He rested his head on her shoulder. She secretly loved his hesitation, the insecurity, the mortality in his touch.

"Draco, I need you to do something for me." Cora said suddenly, "I need you to promise me something."

He nodded, "Anything."

"Stay away from the girl with curly black hair." She said seriously.

He was silent for a minute, but was breathing strangely, "What do you mean..?"

"I had a dream that we were on the Astronomy tower. She was trying to hurt me." Cora said quietly.

He was quiet, so Cora knew that he was acquainted with the woman with black hair. She looked at him. His eyes weren't tired anymore, but the sadness was still obvious.

"I-.. I can't promise you that." He said hesitantly, "It could mean my family's life.."

Cora looked at him understandingly, but curiously. She turned around and faced him with her legs crossed Indian style, rubbing her eyes. She stared at him, then looked at her clock. 5:26 AM. They both sat there silently for a few moments, then Draco lay back down, his arms crossed behind his head, staring up at her canopy. She got up from the bed and stood in front of the window, looking into the gray of the morning. She then turned around and looked at Draco. His eyes were now closed, his bare chest exposed, her green blanket loosely covering his waist. She walked around the bed quietly, making her way to the bathroom and turning the shower on. She checked in on Draco, making sure she didn't wake him, then proceeded to undress. A few minutes later, she was sliding on her undergarments, then walking out into the bedroom. Draco was still in the same position he was when she checked on him, still asleep. Cora opened a few drawers, pulling out her uniform and setting in on the bed. While doing that, she pranced around in her panties, not noticing she had awoken Draco, who was now looking at her wide-eyed and confused. She shrugged at him and giggled a little, sitting on the bed next to him and brushing out her black curls. He sat up and put an arm around her waist, looking into the mirror with her. She stopped brushing her hair and looked as well. It seemed more like a portrait than a reflection, it just looked right. In the mirror, she saw him turn toward her and run his nose gently over her neck, then felt his lips grace her shoulder softly. She closed her eyes, feeling him plant a few lustful kisses on her neck, then sighed when he lay back down. She looked back at him with a smile, then resumed getting dressed. He lay on his side, watching her. It was silent for awhile.

Soon enough they were on their way to their first class. His way Divinity, Cora had Muggle Studies. They agreed to meet in the courtyard after second period so they could go to lunch together. Muggle Studies was one of Cora's least favorite classes, but oddly she got extraordinary grades. In class she couldn't keep her mind from flighting back to Draco's face. Cora was normally a very attentive student, but lately she had found herself distracted by him. Thinking back to his bare chest barely covered by her blanket, it was difficult to fight her sexual longing for him. However, it wasn't only his pale, beautiful appearance, it was his insecurity, his shyness, his low self-esteem. Not only that, but he was incredibly sweet, not with words, but with actions. Resting his head on her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her tightly, everything he did was amazing. Then the class was dismissed, people talking and getting up from their desks shook Cora from her thoughts. Since the courtyard she and Draco were meeting at was closer to her classroom than it was to his, she took her time, enjoying the scenery for the first time in awhile.

She got to the courtyard and took a seat on a nearby bench, setting her book down next to her, it was a few minutes before he showed up, but when he did, he greeted her with a smile.

"Ready to go then?" He asked, gesturing toward the great hall.

She nodded and began walking, Draco not far behind her.


	5. Chapter 5

Cora lie down, staring up at the green canopy. Morning light was showing through her window, reflecting off of the few particles of dust that were flowing through the air. Draco's arm was around her. Stroking his hand gently, she sighed. He had moved a few of his things into her room by now, his clothes were neatly folded on her dresser and his books were stacked on the table by her door. This wasn't only her dorm now, it was _their _dorm. She felt that part of the reason he wanted to spend time in her dorm was because of the foul memories in his. Suddenly she found herself thinking back to the blood running down his arms, on the floor, the counter, everywhere. She grimaced a bit at the thought of it. It seems that she liked his presence anyhow, it surprised her how easily she could tolerate being around him all day every day, excluding class time. She truly enjoyed his company. He started to stir, taking in a deep breath and stretching a little. Cora turned to face him, propping herself up on one elbow.

"Good morning." She said with a smile, caressing his cheek.

He smiled back, then looked down with a strange expression.

"What is it, Draco?" She asked, lifting his chin.

He shook his head and stretched, sitting up and looking back at her. He looked over the room for a second, seeming to wonder what to do first.

They got up and ready for class, they both had potions first hour today. While they got dressed she noticed his quietness. Before they left, just as his hand reached for the door, she stepped toward him and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. At first he seemed hesitant, but she felt his arms wrap around her gently, then more heavily. She knew he was going through something, even if he didn't feel comfortable enough to talk about it, and wanted to be there for him. She then realized she hadn't told him what she was thinking.

"Draco, I know I haven't told you this.. But I care more about you than anything." She said softly.

That seemed to loosen the unexplainable tension between them, lightening the mood and taking some weight off of their chests. When they reached the potions room, they hugged once before they entered, causing professor Snape to give them both an ugly look. Snape went to the podium and looked over the class, for once he seemed to be unsure of what to teach about, or what to say. His eyes scrolled over the class and stopped at Cora, then to Draco.

"Today." He said, "We shall talk about musical potions. We will begin with musical terms."

The room was silent for a moment, like no one had really understood what he said. They exchanged looks awkwardly, earning an irritated cough from Snape.

"You will all be turning to page four-thirty-six now." He said, seeming annoyed.

Cora was thoroughly interested in the new plans, since she had a wide fascination for music. Not everyone seemed as interested though, Draco let out a sigh and slumped back in his chair. Snape went back to his desk, sitting and looking through papers that were uncharacteristically thrown about carelessly. Suddenly Cora realize it wasn't only the papers that had lost their organization, it was his entire room. Suddenly, he stood up, walking back to the front of the room.

"Now, as you look through the pages, which I assume you all did, I am going to ask a few questions." He said, earning a few disrupting groans from the students, "And anyone who answers incorrectly will be joining me. After class."

Cora suddenly felt a little scared, she didn't want to have to stay after class and she wasn't certain about any of the music she had read.

"Now. Cora. If you want to play with a fast pace, a lively pace, what is it called?" He asked her, narrowing his eyes a little.

She looked down at the book quickly, spotting the word, she peeped out, "A-Allegro."

"Good." He said, smugly seeming a little impressed, "Cora, what are tones that are used to embellish the principal melodic tone?"

She looked at him strangely, for just a moment, wondering why he seemed to be focused on her, "Ornaments.."

His grim appearance of being impressed vanished and he narrowed his eyes more, "Alright Cora, then what is a form of Italian opera that began at the beginning of the 19th century? Answer that for me."

She was surprised to see that he was beginning to get angry, she looked down at the book frantically, Draco was looking at Snape with a glare.

"I-.. I don't know, professor.." She said, looking off to the side of the room.

"Pity." Snape said, spitting the word like an insult, "I guess you'll be joining me after class. The answer was Verismo."

Cora didn't say anything for the rest of the class period, she only stared blankly up at the board as Snape spoke. Draco, trying to comfort her, held her hand under the table. At the end of class, she told Draco to go back to the dorm, he hesitated at first, but then agreed. After he left, Cora sat there, waiting for what was to come. For a few minutes Snape didn't even acknowledge her presence, he just sat sorting papers on his desk.

"Come here." He said suddenly, his voice seeming to burst through the empty room.

On her way up to the desk, she was trying to figure out the reason that voice was so familiar, so old and known to her. She nearly tripped over the slight step up from the floor. She didn't realize just how much she feared him until now.

"Take this to Dumbledore." He said flatly, "Then you come back here."

She looked at him a little confused, but then headed toward the door, rushing toward it, rather. The hallways were empty now, excluding a few late people or those with no next hour. She had always been amazed at how beautiful the ceiling looked in the hallway. Finally making her way to Dumbledore's office, she stepped in, looking around for him. realizing his absence, she set the papers on his desk, but when she looked down she saw her name. No, it wasn't in big letters, no fancy design, it was on a certificate. A birth certificate. Why was her birth certificate set out on Dumbledore's desk? At any rate, she figured she would read it.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Certificate of Birth<br>**This certifies that _Coratrix Aleris Lovel_ was born on _Tuesday_  
>in the <em>Seventh_ day of _April_ at _3:15 AM_ in the year _1980_ in  
>Parrel Medical Facility in Godric's Hallow to <em>  
>Gwenedine Calvis Lovel <em>and<em> Severus Tobias Snape_. _

* * *

><p>Just as her eyes widened, she heard a familiar voice, "Ah, Coratrix. I knew I would be seeing you soon."<p>

She turned around to see Dumbledore standing just inside of the doorway. With the flick of his wand, the door closed and he calmly walked toward her. The man was tall, very tall, with a beard as long as his torso. His eyes were kind and his voice was powerful, like any great wizard. He gently took the paper from her hands and looked at it.

"You know, Cora, your parents are two very great, and fulfilled, wizards." He said with a smile, setting the certificate back down on his desk, "I was looking at this earlier thinking just what to do about all of this."

Cora gave him a curious look, "What do you mean, professor?"

He sighed, seeming to be in deep thought, "Well you see, Cora," he started, picking up a feather from his phoenix that had fallen on his desk, "I've noticed you've taken quite a liking to Draco Malfoy."

Cora looked at her feet, "That I have."

He smiled widely, warmly, setting a hand on her shoulder, "And that is fantastic, Cora. However, I must warn you that there is danger to come!" He said, lifting the feather up and watching it puff up in a gentle smoke, "But you will be ready when it comes time."

He stood, looking her in the eyes, "He needs you Cora, that boy needs you. He may not know it quite yet, but he does. You've already saved him a great deal of pain. A great deal."

Oddly, this caused her to smile. He turned around, grabbing something off of a shelf and turning back to her quickly.

"This is a minor healing potion." He said, holding it out to her, it was read with a gold clasp, it seemed to be glowing, "You will know when to use this."

He smiled at her and gestured for her to go once he had handed it to her. She put it in her pocket, still confused, and headed back to Snape's room.

Snape.

This was her father.

Something had just smacked her right between the eyes. _My father is Snape?_ She hadn't realized what she had read, or perhaps her mind had blocked it out, until now. _"All this time.. all of this time?"_ She grabbed her curly black locks. _"Black hair._" She gently caressed her cheeks beneath her eyes. _"Black eyes._" Her love of potions, being in Slytherin. It was so obvious to her now. She walked up to his room slowly and peered in at him. He was at his desk writing, he hadn't quite noticed her yet. She took a deep breath and slowly walked in, wondering if she should tell him that she knew.

"Did you get lost, Coratrix?" He asked with an oddly irritated voice.

"N-no sir, when I was there, Dumbledore and I had a talk, we-"

"At any rate, you may go back to your dorm. I've taken enough time from you. Go study." He said, interrupting her.

She stared at him for a moment, just looking at him in amazement. Until now she hadn't realized the things that would be obvious to any child that were looking at their parent. She had his eyes. His love for this class. She had his cruel, but honest look. He peered up at her, noticing her stare.

"Well, off with you then." He said, looking at her curiously.

She nodded and turned around, deciding not to tell him. She walked out of the room, looking back at him. He had begun working again, his attention completely on the papers he was writing on. She then headed back to the dorms. It was still daytime, but she had only one other class, which was Astronomy. Draco had no other classes for the day, so she knew he would be back at the dorm. She missed him badly, more badly than usual. Should she tell Draco she knows? She wondered if she should tell anyone, or maybe just keep it to herself. As soon as she got to the room, there was a smile on here face. There lie Draco on the bed, no shirt, covered in random candy, fast asleep. He looked so peaceful, she didn't want to wake him up. Taking the candy wrappers and throwing them away, she looked over at him again. She laughed for a second, then lie down next to him, kissing him on the forehead and going to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Everything was hectic, an organized chaos was taking place. Suddenly Cora found herself being thrown into someone.<em>

_"Fenrir!" The woman screeched out, watching the man fly over the tower wall.  
><em>

_The sky was cloudy, wind was blowing viciously and there was confused yelling. A woman, her curly black hair being tossed by the wind, was staring over the ledge of the Astronomy tower in glorified horror. Her shock was obvious, her mouth agape. She then turned towards a confused Cora who took a step back. The woman appeared irate, her teeth gritted together, her eyes squinted. _

_"No, listen to me! You have to stop! It wasn't her fault!-"_

_"Quiet, you." A womans voice said gruffly as she faced Draco, then turned back to Cora._

_It was beginning to rain. Cora looked around her, Draco and Snape stood, waiting for her next move. Cora looked down at the gray brick, then up at the clouded sky. Suddenly she felt afraid. The woman was quickly walking toward Cora, violently whipping her wand out and glaring. Both Draco and Snape started after her, trying to grab her, keep her from Cora._

_"No, Bella!" Snape yelled._

_She then aimed her wand at Cora._

_"Avada Kadavra!"_


	6. Chapter 6

Everything had changed. From the second Cora saw the names written on her birth certificate to the moments she spent resting next to Draco, everything had changed. Draco had refused to eat, sleep and barely spoke a word to her, or anyone for that matter, in the past week. He lie there, staring up at the canopy as if nothing else existed around them. Snape had been strange as well, she observed. The class that was usually tormented by his constant quizzing was now relaxed. He had been assigning book projects, no partners, no tests, which was unlike him. No one had seen Dumbledore. Draco often left their dorm in the middle of the night, thinking she was asleep, not realizing she woke up every time he left the room. She lie facing away from him, thinking about all of the oddities that had been taking place. Underneath her calm exterior, she had never felt so lonely. She didn't keep others close to her, she had few friends and no relatives.. Other than Snape. She was confused about why Draco wasn't talking to her, why he was acting so strangely. It was hard for her to think about anything else anymore. She was constantly observing him, watching his every move. It was tiring and she knew she couldn't handle much more of the silence. It was time for a change.

"Draco..?" Cora said softly, in case he had fallen asleep, not turning back toward him.

"Hm?" He hummed quietly.

"What's wrong..?" She asked, turning toward him, "You haven't said much at all lately."

He was quiet.

She looked away from him, then sat up and curled her knees up to her chest. She wasn't sure what to say. It was ten at night and she was wide awake. She thought back to when she was little. Regulus had always given her a bath before bed, that always helped her sleep.

* * *

><p><em>"Hmmm.. Now what was that little girls name..? The one with the curly black hair and amazingly dazzling black eyes?" Regulus said playfully.<em>

_"Cora!" The small girl said excitedly, splashing the water a little._

_"No, I don't think so, I don't think her name was as beautiful as that." He said, crossing his arms and pretending to think._

_"Yes it was! Reggy, you're talking about me!" She said, laughing._

_"Nowww.. We should get out of the bath before you get all wrinkled like a little old lady." He said, grabbing a towel. _

_"Noooo!" She pouted, crossing her arms._

_"Now young lady, don't make me get the bath monster." He said, playfully taunting her, "He doesn't like naughty children!"_

_Cora giggled as he lifted her up, covering her with the towel._

* * *

><p>She got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom, not looking up at Draco, who was watching her. The bath in their dorm was of decent size, so she turned the water on. She added soap to make bubbles and turned to look in the mirror. Before walking over to it, she undressed herself. She looked at herself, unsure of what to think. These nights without Draco there had left her sleepless, her eyes had no circles, but showed the loneliness. She looked at her lips, still not kissed, a peachy, pink color. Her hair, curly and black, erupted over her shoulders. Her thin, pale frame stood there unclothed. She looked down at the sink and let a tear fall, then found herself being embraced. She looked up in the mirror to find herself being held in the arms of Draco Malfoy, his head rested gently on her shoulder, his arms covering her breasts. They both looked at the reflection in the mirror for a long time, maybe expecting it to turn to stone. A permanent picture. He kissed her neck once, then again. She turned to face him, covering herself slightly. He held his arms out to her, his eyes not leaving hers. She fell into his embrace once more and held him tightly.<p>

"You're beautiful." He said softly into her ear, closing his eyes.

She closed her eyes tightly, letting out a frustrated sob, confused about all that was happening. Moments ago he ignored her existence, now he was complimenting her. Nothing was making sense at all. She could feel his grief, however, his pain. She knew the stabbing pain that he found in every second of every day. The suffering he felt from the things he didn't know.. Or those he didn't understand. He waited and took orders.. For things he didn't want to do. Threatened with his life, he didn't have much of a choice for anything at all, the only thing he could control were the questions he answered, and even that was limited to him. She knew he didn't mean to cause her any pain, but sometimes the confusion was pain enough.

He then released her, letting her tend to her business.

* * *

><p>She woke up a few hours later to a gentle hand moving down her cheek to her shoulder, then down her arm. She hadn't opened her eyes yet, already knowing the touch of the gently Draco Malfoy. She smiled slightly and tilted her head in his direction, opening her eyes slowly. He wasn't looking at her, but paying attention only to the movement of his hand on her skin. His fingertips were lightly sweeping across her skin, nearly causing her to tremble. He looked up at her with his dashing blue eyes, noticing she was now awake. He then sat up and began leaving the bed calmly, walking over to her dresser and gathering a black skirt, white, long sleeved shirt and her Slytherin scarf. Laying them on the bed, he looked at her with a hint in his eyes. It was two in the morning and she knew it was no time to be out around the school, but her instinct told her to go.<p>

They left into the hallway, soon she found herself in an area of the castle that she didn't recognize at all. As if he sensed her oncoming fear, he took her and and kissed her forehead gently, leading her up to a large, wide wall at the end of the long hallway. She looked to him, confused. He turned to her and took her other hand softly, his skin looking pure white in the dim light from the moon. It was silent, except for the wind that brushed the trees, creating an elegant sweeping. His eyes were a brilliant blue, they seemed to mesmerize her. He then bent forward and kissed her lovingly, caressing her face. She recognized that this was a token of his appreciation for her trust, but also as a gateway into the next level of their relationship. She hadn't realized the magnitude of this meeting until he let go of one of her hands, facing back toward the wall.

"Close your eyes." He said softly, looking down at her.

She found herself in a room that she had only heard about in stories from other students. The room of requirement. She looked up at him quickly, realizing that he was allowing her to enter the very secret place he had been leaving to at night. it left her with the question of what he was doing here that was so important, but she wasn't about to ask that much of him. The room as littered with dusty old furniture and papers that had been neglected for years. He gently pressed her against an old cabinet, his lips meeting hers for the second time. He wrapped his arms around her passionately, but shyly, continuing the kiss. He seemed to grow needy, she could easily tell that he was craving affection. He stopped for a moment and looked at her, his eyes serious.

"Stay here, Cora." He said, releasing her.

He walked across the room, seeming to be searching for something. He was gone for quite a few minutes, when he came back holding something in his hands. He stopped and looked down at it, as if thinking it over, then continued.

"Close your eyes.." He said quietly, caressing her cheek with his hand.

She did as he said and closed her eyes. Soon after, she felt his breath on her neck. Not a minute later, a cold, frail chain. She heard the clasp of a necklace being shut and felt the item on the necklace fall between her breasts. She hadn't opened her eyes yet, his breath was still on her neck.

"All of the women in my family wear this very necklace. Before you see it, I want you to know exactly what it means. All of the women in my family who wear this necklace all have one thing in common.. They were married into the family." He whispered quietly.

She was speechless. He could hear her gasp and knew that she understood. This was a promise necklace, a proposal for marriage, before the actual proposal.

"Please, tell me, Cora. Do you accept this gift?" He asked tenderly, holding her hands as his face stay close to her ear.

"Yes." She whispered back, letting a tear fall freely from her eye.

She felt his lips on hers, his hands around her waist warmly.

_Coratrix Aleris Malfoy. _It had a certain ring to it, she thought. It wasn't definite yet, but she suddenly had high hopes for the future. The future. She hadn't thought much about the future, only about the present and the past. She had a feeling that everything soon would change, but she wasn't entirely sure why. One of the happiest moments in her life had traces of darkness.


	7. Chapter 7

Cora lie there awake, thinking. She couldn't help but feel that tonight was different. She figured it was only the thought of marriage that had her feeling odd. Draco had his arm around her waist and was breathing on her neck. She had a feeling his was awake, so to test him, she squeezed his hand lightly. He gave her hand a squeeze in return, letting her know that he was there. They didn't say a word, they just continued laying there with the new reassurance that the other was there enjoying the moment. he moved his hand upward from her waist slightly, earning her attention. He ran his and up her stomach gently, under her shirt. She trembled at his soft touch, placing a hand on his and guiding him upward unto her breast. She could hear the pace of his breathing begin to quicken as he massaged her breast slowly. She pressed herself against him, earning a small grunt. He then placed his hand back on her waist and pulled her into him, pressing her lower body hard against his. He moaned slightly at this. She could clearly feel how aroused he was, and it was embarrassing for him to know that. He craved more friction, though, and continued to thrust against her, holding her close to him. He was grabbing her chest again, more roughly, earning quiet, coy moans from Cora. With every noise she made, he shivered, trembling at her voice. She then lie on her stomach, turning her head to face him, kissing him roughly. He got on top of her, pinning her arms over her head as gently as possible, beginning to thrust against her rear, earning several whimpering moans from her.

"D-Draco.." She moaned quietly, making him groan and tilt his head back a little in pleasure.

He then unpinned her, still on all fours above her, unsure of what to do. His erection was obvious, even in the dark through his pajama pants. She rolled over, looking up at him and wrapping her arms around his neck. They kissed passionately for several minutes, but Cora wanted to experience more and Draco could see it. He looked around the room, as if to make sure no one was watching and slowly began to unbutton the shirt she had warn to bed. He stared into her eyes intently, flipping the buttons one by one, then kissed her gently. Cora lie there with her arms bent beside her, allowing him to look at her bare chest. He slowly bent down and kissed her, then her neck, leading to her breast. He gently gently flicked at one rosy peak with his tongue, massaging the other breast with his hand, pinching at her nipple gingerly. Cora shook and quivered, wrapping her arms around him as he sucked on her breast roughly. She then wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him against her. As he continued to suck and massage her, he began thrusting against her panties gently, Cora moaned out loudly. He then kissed her, still pushing himself against her clit repeatedly. Kissing down her bare chest and stomach to her panties, he gently bit her inner thigh, making her arch her back a little.

She then fell into his warmth.

* * *

><p>"Cora." He said quietly, seeming to be checking to see if she were awake.<p>

Cora decided not to respond, wanting to see if he would leave again, like every night before. As she had expected, he slowly sat up and rose from the bed. Grabbing something, he opened the door, looking back at her for a moment. With that, he left the room. Had he not paused, Cora would have thought nothing of it, but at the doorway he looked back her as if he were trying to capture a moment in time. Like he wanted to remember her.

Cora flipped the covers off of her, hurrying to get dressed. She glanced over at the note from Snape, her father, picked up her wand from the dresser, and turned to the door. Suddenly she remembered Dumbledore had given her a potion. She took it from the drawer in her dresser and gently slid it into her pocket, looking at her room the way Draco had only minutes before, opened the door and left.

Realizing she hadn't the slightest clue where Draco was headed, she ran out into the dorm and into the hallway, looking for him. At first she didn't see him, but soon, far down the hallway, she saw a figure. She followed him cautiously, heading towards the astronomy tower, it seemed. Her chest was heavy with fear as she wondered where the light from the moon was, she needed it then more than ever.

She slowly crept up the stairs to the astronomy tower, hearing a conversation break out between Draco and what sounded to be the missing Dumbledore. He had been gone for weeks, had he been up here this entire time? She was confused, but looking up at the sky, she saw the dark mark. Gasping, she grabbed her wand, only to be stopped by someone grabbing her from behind and covering her mouth.

"Quiet." The voice said, earning a nod from her. She turned to find Snape. The conversation above continued, but suddenly there was another voice.

"Ah, you've done well, Draco." A woman's voice said tauntingly, "Now kill him."

There was a long silence, suddenly Snape ran up the stairs. It took a moment for her to work up the courage, but Cora ran after him, wand in hand. Cora ran up the stairs to find A beastly looking man, an elder man, a black haired woman, Snape, Dumbledore and Draco. Draco stood there, the woman behind him. Draco was trembling and staring at Dumbledore, who had his hands up in a defenseless position. The sky was growing darker by the second, a vicious wind was blowing everyone into a sturdy stance. No one appeared to be calm, no one but Dumbledore. As she was examining her surroundings, a black-haired woman turned toward her.

"Oh, you've grown up a bit, Coratrix." The woman said cruelly, then noticing her necklace, "No. **No**. She can _never_ be allowed to carry the Malfoy name!"

She stepped toward her pulling out her wand, only to realize Draco hadn't yet killed the wizard.

"Kill him!" She yelled, getting frustrated. Suddenly everyone began to get aggravated.

Fenrir pushed Draco aside suddenly, making Bella back up, "I'll kill him then!" Fenrir said.

Cora ran to Draco, who had been shoved to the ground, only to be pushed aside by the Bella

Yaxley realized what was going on and blasted Fenrir aside as he aimed his wand at Dumbledore.

"I will NOT allow it!" Yaxley yelled out.

Everything was hectic, an organized chaos was taking place. Suddenly Cora found herself being thrown into someone.

"Avada Kadavra-" Yaxley yelled out, then stopped as Fenrir was knocked into his line of fire. He stopped too late.

"Fenrir!" The woman screeched out, watching the man, motionless, fly over the tower wall.

The sky was cloudy, wind was blowing viciously and there was confused yelling. A woman, her curly black hair being tossed by the wind, was staring over the ledge of the Astronomy tower in glorified horror. Her shock was obvious, her mouth agape. She then turned towards a confused Cora who took a step back. The woman appeared irate, her teeth gritted together, her eyes squinted.

"No, listen to me! You have to stop! It wasn't her fault!-" Draco stammered.

"Quiet, you." Her voice said gruffly as she faced Draco, then turned back to Cora.

It was beginning to rain. Cora looked around her, Draco and Snape stood, waiting for her next move. Cora looked down at the gray brick, then up at the clouded sky. Suddenly she felt afraid. The woman was quickly walking toward Cora, violently whipping her wand out and glaring. Both Draco and Snape started after her, trying to grab her, keep her from Cora.

"No, Bella!" Snape yelled.

She then aimed her wand at Cora.

"Avada Kadavra!"

The rain was heavy now, but the clouds were heavier. Everyone grew silent. A bolt of lightening shot across the sky, as a deep roar of thunder shook everyone there. In the climax of this battle, you could hear a pin drop. Every waking moment was elongated. It felt like eternity.

Draco dropped his wand and stared down. Bellatrix LeStrange lie there, lifeless.

"Snape.. Please." Dumbledore said calmly.

"Avada Kadavra!" Snape yelled, sending the greatest sorcerer in the word over the edge of the tower.

Yaxley stared at the edge of the cliff in awe, then look back at them. He was soon to be off, but before he left he cast a bolt at Snape, sending him to the ground, motionless. Cora gasped, rushing toward him. The ground was becoming more and more covered with his blood.

"Snape." Cora said, kneeling to the wizard, her father.

He was bleeding heavily from a gaping hole in his neck, the wound he received from Yaxley while he was distracted proved to be fatal, far too much for the healing potion to handle. He lie there gasping, Cora was panicked. Draco sat there, looking around them all, unsure of what to do. Cora knelt next to her father, tears in her eyes.

"I know." She said, earning a confused, then surprised look from Severus. He looked at her necklace strangely, held it in his hands gently for a moment, then pulled something from his pocket. The keys to his office. As he took his last breath, she kissed him on the forehead, stifling her sobs the best she could. She stared at the body of her last relative for a few moments, Draco still standing there in shock of what had just occurred. It was a nightmare.


	8. Chapter 8

_"No. **No**. She can never be allowed to carry the Malfoy name!"_

Those words kept repeating in Cora's mind. As they rushed to Snape's office, they were silent. Draco hadn't said a word to her since the battle, yet it was a comfortable kind of silence. Hogwarts students had already fled, all the remained were a couple of teachers who paid them very little attention. It was pouring down a cold, empty rain as they approached the room.

_"She can never be allowed to carry the Malfoy name!"_

Cora couldn't keep them out of her head, but she didn't ask why they kept repeating themselves, the only question she had was, why did Bellatrix say that? She unlocked the door and stepped in. As strange as it may seem, through all that had happened, she expected Snape to walk out of his supply office and begin the lecture. She could still hear the early morning chatter of the students in her mind, but somehow this place had an eerie, sad feeling at the same time. The desks were empty and neatly set up, papers lined the desk of her father. Draco followed her to the front of the room and watched her in complete silence. She wasn't sure where to begin, looking at all of the papers, but decided on a single drawer in the desk. Her father gave her a ring with four keys, she assumed one of them had to be for this drawer. She tried one key, but it seemed to be too big for the lock. The second key she tried, she looked back at Draco as she saw it was also the wrong key. On the third try, the only key she had left other than the key to the room, the lock on the drawer opened. She tugged on it gently, but it seemed to be stuck. Being a bit more vigorous, she pulled on it again. It opened quickly and she fell back a little, needing to regain her balance. She noticed that the contents of the drawer were dusty, they remained untouched for a long time, it seemed. There were many objects and papers, but among them all she noticed one thing. There was a picture of Snape, but not just any picture. He was smiling, standing in a wooded area, the picture was torn at the edge where his hands should be. She picked up the picture and though for a moment, taking the picture of her mother that Draco had given her out of her pocket. She put them together and looked at them. It was a perfect fit.

* * *

><p><strong>1980<strong>

_"You selfish, selfish man! How could you do this to us?" Gwenedine yelled loudly at the man, staring at him angrily, "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" _

_Snape stood there looking out the window, unsure of what to say or how to react. The house was dimly lit, but the hurt look on his loves face was more than clear. She was crying now, uncontrollably. He wanted to hold her, to reach out and touch her, to console her weeping. However, he didn't have the words. He just stood there, unable to look at her as she cried._

_"A deatheater. How could you do this to me? To us? To the baby? What about the baby now, Severus? What happens now?" She sobbed, "I thought we were going to live a simple, carefree life? Are you really that careless?"_

_She then proceeded to storm throughout the house, grabbing her things. She paused as she looked at the pictures on the wall, taking one down and looking at it. Her hands shook as she unlatched the frame and took the picture out. She looked up at him with her big, teary eyes, then down at the picture one more time, tearing it. Holding onto one piece, she let the other fall to the floor. _

_She avoided his eyes as she left, taking as many things as her arms could carry. Snape walked over and looked at the picture of them on the wall. Their live together was nothing more than pictures now, he realized. He saw the empty frame on the counter and the torn picture on the floor. The picture had been the only one taken with their child in it. Picking the picture up off of the floor, he tucked it into his pocket._

* * *

><p>Cora put the picture on his desk and turned her attention back to the drawer. There were letters, pictures, notes, trinkets, a <em>skeleton key<em>. She looked through the pictures, they were all of Snape and her mother. He had kept them all of these years.. But why? Why then had she spent her childhood with the cousin of her godmother? As much as she wanted the answers to all of the questions flowing through her mind, she realized that there was not a single person who could answer them. She picked up a small, silver rattle. It was covered in dust and it made her jump a little as the beads inside clattered at her touch. The items had been enchanted with a happiness charm, apparently, because through the sadness she felt warmth throughout her body. She smiled at the thought of the emotionless Severus Snape casting a happiness charm on a baby's rattle, or perhaps her mother had. She the realized something, maybe this is why Snape was the way he was. The loss of his love and their child, it was enough to drive any man insane. She tucked the rattle into her pocket. She found the urge to pick up the old skeleton key that she had seen in the drawer earlier, putting that in her pocket as well.

"Cora." She heard Draco's voice from behind her.

She looked back at him and smiled slightly, then motioned for him to sit next to her on the floor, so he did. She knew he found it strange that Snape had kept all of these things as well. It seemed that he was still very much in love with her mother. He had kept every letter she sent him, every trace of her that she had ever left on this world, right in this drawer. The evidence of her mothers existence had been in this room, so close to her, this entire time? How could she not have known? Suddenly the lights went out, the schools power had been blown out.

"We have to leave, Cora. They could be here." Draco said, looking at the door.

Cora placed the papers on the desk and picked up the picture of her mother and Snape, putting it in her pocket with the other things she had decided to keep. She glanced down at one of the letters, noticing an address.

_1342 Widwick Road,_  
><em>Godrics Hallow. <em>

She tucked the letter in her pocket and headed to the closet in the back of the room, unlocking it with one of the two keys that weren't identified yet. The potions closet. Luckily, everything had a label. She quickly grabbed a few things, minor healing potions, teleportation potions and such. She then made a quick escape, Draco close by her side.

* * *

><p>It was a creepy place anymore, Godrics Hallow. Where all great wizards were born, she was told. It was a quiet, desolate place now, nearly an empty shell of what it once was. The paths and sidewalks had plants growing through the cracks that had formed, giving them an unkept look. Draco trotted behind her as they both searched for the house with the address on the letter.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Dear Severus,<em>

_Please, stop contacting me. I don't need the danger_

_of a deatheater in my life.. But more importantly, your_

_child doesn't need it. So please, if you love this child_

_at all, keep yourself away from both of us. You know_

_it is best that you keep your distance, just as well_

_as I do. Please, please just stay away. If you won't_

_stay away for me, please do it for the welfare of your_

_unborn child. I will always love you, Severus, never_

_forget that._

_Love always, Gwenedine._

* * *

><p>Once she read the letter completely, she understood why they had separated. Yet she still had so many questions. She looked up and saw a large house that was nearly split in two. Vines had grown into the crack that was small in the bottom and huge at the top. Bricks littered the yard, ash still seemed to float around the home like a ghost. Cora examined an address plate that had fallen off into the yard.<p>

_1342 Widw-_

The rest seemed to be burnt off. This was the home her mother had once resided in. She looked up at it, thinking to herself. This is where her mother died, trying to save Cora's life. She cautiously walked up the porch, leaving Draco behind on the sidewalk. He knew it wasn't his place to follow her inside, so he stood guard within ear short, in case she yelled for him. The wood screamed and bent beneath her, as if it were warning her to stay out. Regardless, she walked through the doorless doorway, stepping over the door that lie there broken.

* * *

><p><strong>1981<strong>

_Gwenedine let out a gasp as the door flew open, hinges unable to keep it from falling to the ground. She averted her gaze from the door to a hooded figure._

_"No." She said quietly, turning toward the stairs and beginning to run._

_A shot to the back stunned her momentarily, making her gasp for air as she continued to crawl up the stairs toward Cora's bedroom. She began to cry, knowing that with one more shot she would be unable to make it to her room. Her last hope was to protect her by other means. She looked into the open door to her baby's room, then back at the cackling hooded figure. She continued to crawl, making it to the doorway of the room and stood, using the doorframe to hold herself steady._

_"A matris puer natura divina gratia protectionis." She muttered to herself, cringing with pain, "A matris puer natura divina gratia protectionis." _

_As vines grew around her, into her arms and legs, binding themselves to her, she closed her eyes. As the shield of protection had completed, the vines detached from her. The hooded figure walked up to her as she held her head up high._

_"You're too late." She said, her voice shaking, "I've protected my baby."_

_Angrily, the figure held his wand to her chest, muttering a spell. The lights flickered as she screamed out in pain, the house began to shake and the floor began to split from the power of the blast, but despite his effort, Cora's room remained untouched by his magic. There was nothing more, nor less, of Gwenedine than traces of bone and ash. Nothing more but a single, dust-covered hair piece. Voldemort stood there admiring his work, looking up at the room he would never enter. ___Little did he know that Bellatrix LeStrange sat in a corner of the baby's room shaking, holding Cora close to her chest. As Voldemort stepped past the ash that used to be Gewnedine Lovel, he stared down at her remains. Behind him, t___he cowardice shadow of Peter Pettigrew lingered at the top of the stairs._

* * *

><p>Cora ran her fingers over the vines that had enclosed her room, to her surprise they melted beneath he fingertips, leaving behind nothing but a few glimmering leaves. She stepped into the nursery, no dust, nor movement had ever taken place. It had stayed untouched by any hands or magic. It appeared as if no one had ever stepped foot in this room at all. Unlike the rest of the house, this room was timeless. The wood was still a vibrant, polished light brown, the crib still nicely made. It was an obvious work of protection, and Cora knew what had taken place.<p>

****Author's note: As I'm sure you've all noticed so far, Harry Potter isn't in this story. The reason for that is because Peter Pettigrew was killed by Sirius Black before he could expose Lilly and James Potter. Gwenedine was exposed by Peter Pettigrew merely because Peter knew she was a distraction for Snape and wanted the Dark Lord to praise him. Lilly and James moved shortly after the attack on Gwenedine, Harry lived a happy, normal child's life in a wizards home. He never became the famous Potter at all, just one in the crowd.****


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